Wednesday, October 16, 2013

PHOENIX COP ARRESTED FOR PUNCHING WIFE USED STEROIDS, ADVOCATED FOR OFFICER STEROID USE

Phoenix police officer Albert Smith's mugshot

A Phoenix police officer arrested for domestic violence
last week was suspended in 2007 for his use of illegal steroids during
a department crackdown on the artificial male hormone. In an interview
with KTAR at the time, Officer Albert Smith defended the use of the
drug by police officers and fire fighters, and suggested that steroids
were widely accepted amongst officers.

Speaking to KTAR,
Smith said "There's tons of guys out there, tons of guys, on the fire
department,
on the police department, that are using. My honest opinion? I don't
believe they should be illegal, I think it's a personal decision. I'm
not hurting anybody." A 2007 investigation by CBS 5
found that, despite Smith's claims that steroid use is harmless, the
drug was linked to allegations against more than a dozen Phoenix police
officers and firefighters involving suicidal threats, rage, restraining
orders, and domestic abuse.

Smith may not have been honest about his own behavior prior to the interview with KTAR. Court documents from a lawsuit filed against Smith and the City of Phoenix
in 2005 reveal that the officer was accused of extreme brutality during an
arrest. The suit alleged that Smith had "punched Plaintiff behind his
head with a gun, slammed Plaintiff's face on the sidewalk, put
his knee in Plaintiff's head, and then kicked Plaintiff. Other
unidentified officers arrived and joined Smith in kicking
Plaintiff. They did not stop until they heard over their radios
that civilians were watching. Plaintiff also alleges that the
officers were deliberately indifferent to his medical needs. He
suffered various physical injuries, including fractured ribs and
a bump on his head."

__________________________

Considering the violent outburst which led to Smith assaulting his wife, his past statements in defense of officers using strength enhancing steroids, and the past accusations of brutality would seem to qualify Smith for a full substance abuse testing by investigators of this case to determine if the officer is still using steroids. ___________________________

While the outcome of the lawsuit is not found in court
documents available online, it is probable that the suit did not go forward once the
plaintiff was found guilty in his criminal trial. However, the
behavior described in the lawsuit would not be considered irregular for
an individual who has used an anabolic steroid drug. The widespread
abuse of steroid by police officers, and the potential for an increase
in on the job violence, was noted in an article published inPolice Chief,
the magazine of the International Association of Chiefs of Police, and
authored by law enforcement officers and medical professionals in law
enforcement.

Among the list of symptoms to watch for in
cases of anabolic steroids use are "Mood swings, particularly if
aggressive", "Unreasonable emotional responses to situations", and
"Multiple incidents of 'use of force' or complaints of improper
outbursts and attitude." Considering the violent outburst which led to
Smith assaulting his wife, his past statements in defense of officers
using strength enhancing steroids, and the past accusations of brutality
would seem to qualify Smith for a full substance abuse testing by
investigators of this case to determine if the officer is still using
steroids.

Smith is not the only Phoenix officer who
has made the news in recent months after an arrest for domestic
violence. In late August Phoenix police lieutenant Dalin Webb was
arrested and charged with aggravated assault and disorderly conduct
after he allegedly shoved his wife and choked his son. As reported in Down and Drought at the time,
Lt. Webb was a school resource officer and served as an
adviser to the anti-bullying group Not My Kid. It appears that Webb is
still employed by the department and on duty, a check of the Phoenix police department's website
lists him as an area lieutenant at the Mountain View precinct. Webb had
plead not guilty to the two misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct
and one felony count of aggravated assault, his charges have been
dismissed while a grand jury decides whether he should face new charges
and move to trial.

Smith and Webb's arrests
illustrate that the culture of police violence extends from the city
streets to the homes of the officers. The Center for Women and Policing's research
found that as many as 40 percent of law enforcement families experience
domestic violence, while the number stands at 10 percent for the rest
of the population. In addition to these startling numbers, the victims
of abuse from police are especially vulnerable because their abuser is
armed, knows the locations of women's shelters, and has knowledge of how
to use the system escape the consequences and shift blame to their
victims.

As October is National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Phoenix police department have made a video, patrol cars have purple awareness month ribbon magnets placed on them as well. It is doubtful they will use their own officers' arrests to illustrate why domestic violence is never acceptable.

WHO WE ARE

Down and Drought is a blog featuring news and analysis about Arizona, We focus on policing, media, the border, poverty, urban infrastructure, right wing movements, militarization, surveillance, the environment and history of the region.